Laomendong Historical and Cultural District

#November Destinations 2025 Located east of Zhongshan South Road and south of the Ming City Wall, adjacent to Zhonghua Gate and Confucius Temple, the Laomendong Historical and Cultural District in Nanjing is one of the best-preserved traditional old city areas in Nanjing, covering an area of ​​approximately 600,000 square meters. Laomendong, originally named "Dongchenggen," was a bustling market town during the Ming and Qing dynasties, known for its classic Qinhuai snacks such as Nanjing salted duck, duck blood vermicelli soup, and sweet taro sprouts. The district primarily features Ming and Qing architectural styles, preserving old place names like Gutong Lane, Santiaoying, and Jianzi Lane. With its blue bricks, gray tiles, horse-head walls, and carved doors and windows, walking through it feels like stepping back into old Nanjing during the Republic of China era. Here, you'll find traditional handicraft workshops (such as paper-cutting, lantern making, and Qinhuai lanterns), as well as creative shops, cafes, bookstores, and theaters, achieving a perfect blend of old architecture and modern life. At night, lanterns hang high, and the Qinhuai River scenery and lights are within easy reach. There's also the regularly performed live-action drama "Laomendong Memories," which recreates the everyday life of the city in the 1920s and 30s. Laomendong is a representative of Nanjing's "mountains in sight, water in view, and nostalgia in memory," integrating food, shopping, and cultural experiences, and is known as "Nanjing's most vibrant cultural living room." Whether strolling during the day or visiting at night, one can deeply feel the intertwining of Jinling's thousand-year-old cultural heritage and the warmth of its everyday life.